Oh the weather outside is frightful— truly, we just finished having 80º days in mid-November— but the fire is so delightful— and it is, it looks so realistic you might think those are actual manuscripts going up in smoke— and they’re finally open so you can cheer and claps— go to Spots, go to see Deathtrap. The nature of live theatre being what it is, the grand opening of this Ira Levin stage thriller under the superb direction of Stephen Foreman, has opened just a week later than expected but it’s riveting, charming, edgy and quite comedically well-endowed. With a set for the ages— seriously, one will struggle to find a more detailed and lavishly lush looking set that has so perfectly nestled into the four-corners, four-pillars, and postage-stamp stage that is Spotlighters Theatre in recent history— a cast chomping at the bit for an audience, and an exceptionally well-paced script, this comedic and edgy thriller is the perfect transition from all those Rocky Horrors into the seasonally saccharine that’s coming down the pipe as we wend our way into December.
Waxing poetic or gushing emphatically, either way you should note the fact that Justin Nepomuceno’s set (adorned and augmented by Properties Designer Jessie Krupkin) is to die for. Nepomuceno sets up the French doors with the ivy and outdoor foliage in one corner, a staircase leading up into the house in another, the backdoor out to the driveway, and the fireplace— so realistic and charming yet ominous and foreboding— along with the passage to the front of the house in the fourth corner. It’s all very elegant, perfectly poised for the late 70’s though it has this timeless feel of a slightly earlier decade— and Nepomuceno’s attention to detail is stunning. The low-raised crossbeam to indicate that the writer’s study is— as described— an old stable-barn is perfectly placed and the plush crimson-velvet lining that drapes the four load-bearing support columns of the space is simply divine. Add to Nepomuceno’s work the intricately designed ‘window cards’ (not show posters) of Sydney Bruhl’s plays…all developed by Krupkin…and the various and sundry instruments of doom and gloom and you have a literal perfect set. (All its missing is Chekhov’s rule of gun-placement…only with the mace!)
Sound and Lighting Designers Paul Saar and Al Ramer, respectively, really add the thrilling atmospheric necessities to this production. While Ira Levin’s Deathtrap isn’t an Agatha Christie (though many folks in theatreland confuse it for The Mousetrap…lots of traps in these on-stage thrillers…) there is an element of suspense and tingling ‘Thrilleritis Malignus’ that permeates the performance. And it’s aided tenfold with the work of Saar and Ramer, particularly when the ‘storm’ comes into play. The flashes of lighting— both directly overhead of the scene and from out behind the glass of the French doors are smartly placed and cleanly executed. Saar also has exceptionally well-blended and recorded background sounds, like the chirping bugs of the night, the twitting birds of daylight, and the car going up and down the driveway complete with gravel crunch. It sounds so realistic that when you hear Clifford returning in the car you jump just like Sydney. It’s wild.
Costumes seem to be a simple, unobtrusive affair. Nothing too glaringly out of place for 1978 but nothing so outrageous as to be horrifically distracting or campy. Costume Designer Mica Weiss keeps things simple, which is a fine testament to the narrative that Ira Levin has penned and to the performance that the five actors are giving. Weiss does deserve a nod of praise for the sharp, crisp look on Porter Milgrim’s suit and for not attempting to go over-the-top with Helga ten Drop’s costuming; it’s a fine balance to let the humor of the psychic character be a little silly without going too far over the top with it, and Weiss’ choice to keep the costume for that character more realistic accurately reflects that balance.
As Director and Fight Choreographer, Stephen Foreman runs a tight ship. Aided and assisted by Stage Manger Rebecca Hanauer and ASM Allison Salach, the show— despite its overall length and six-scene, two-act format— moves swiftly with loads of dramatic tension built into appropriate moments, equally balanced with darkly humorous notes of comedy. Foreman’s fight-scenes are clean and look authentic, particularly those that happen in the first act. Foreman also understands the unique challenges of blocking a show in the Spotlighters play space. Not only does he rise to the occasion but succeeds in making nearly all of the scenes completely visible from all four seating-bank angles. Foreman is keenly aware of sightlines, acutely attuned to the need for emphasized volume from his performers, and has a balance to the spatial dynamic he creates between players, not always going for the immediately obvious or mundane blocking choices; it’s refreshing.
It should be noted that at this performance the role of Clifford Anderson was played by understudy J Purnell Hargrove, who was ‘book-in-hand’ for the duration of the performance. It should also be noted that short of physically seeing said ‘book’, it was hardly noticeable that Hargrove was ‘book-in-hand.’ As the nature of live theatre has always dictated, ‘the show must go on’ and the efforts of Hargrove, the remainder of the cast, and the production crew, should be thoroughly applauded for such a successful production. The pacing to the show’s overall delivery was hardly altered and Hargrove gave a riveting performance with deeply engaging moments even if there was the occasional glance downward into the script, which almost looked as if it were a character choice, given the professions of the Clifford and Sydney characters.
Though brief in his cameo role of Porter Milgrim, Carlo Olivi makes his presence felt and known, living almost a little too well in the skin of an era gone by. There’s something indescribably natural about the way he speaks, the way he addresses moments in his two scenes— particularly the first scene with Sydney— you just get the overall sense that he’s a convivial construct of a man who has stepped out of a bygone era. Even though the play states that it’s set in 1978, Olivi’s Porter Milgrim feels like a solicitor from the late 50’s. It’s just a really unique juxtaposition against the other characters who feel somewhat timeless— as if they could be in 1978 or even present day, save for a few telling details in both their language and dialogue exchanges.
Melissa Banister is another supporting cameo feature— though in a play with just five characters it seems unfair to label either of them as such, especially as she has one additional scene compared to Porter Milgrim. Banister is a refreshing change of tone to the show. While carefully balanced against the— pardon the pun— but the ‘deathtrap’— of playing Helga ten Dorp as an over-the-top, larger-than-life Dutch psychic, Banister creates a dynamic and grounded character portrayal in all three of her scenes. Her accent (compliments of an assist from dialect coach Kelly Rardon) is consistent and just the right level of overpronounced so that the audience understands she’s the archetypal ‘foreign-interloping-figure’ whilst still being able to understand what she’s saying. There’s something equally congenial about the way she nervously flits around the room too; the psychic premonitions are real for the character and Banister plays them with a sense of truth so that the comedy of her character follows naturally.
Setting aside the fact that the character is only in the first act, Aparna Sri makes for a delightful Myra Bruhl. Portraying a radiantly young and youthfully exuberant wife, Sri deftly handles the delicate balance between sincerity and sarcasm that accompanies her character in the dialogue exchanges with husband Sydney Bruhl. Sri also delivers convincing moments of anguish and agony when the scene at large overwhelms her. The gasping, panting, and generalized histrionics feel natural as opposed to ‘put-on’ and you share her escalated levels of fraught anxiety when the crisis moments of the plot begin to twist and jab and really grab unexpectedly at the jugular. She holds her own in the venomous tête-à- tête with Sydney that is equal parts sass and seduction, readily ensnaring the audience into their marital whirlpool.
Clifford Anderson (at this performance, ‘book-in-hand’ J Purnell Hargrove) arrives on the scene and creates quite the stir in ways most unexpected. Hargrove possesses this look of utter astonished wonderment, a hybrid of trepidation and starstruck exuberance upon being in the home of the great Sydney Bruhl. Can Hargrove startle the audience with eager enthusiasm? Yes. Does Hargrove go toe to toe with Sydney Bruhl in scenes as the production progresses, throwing eager theatrical onlookers for a total loop-n-whirl? Yes? Do you even notice that he’s ‘book-in-hand’? Hardly. Hargrove is captivating and impresses the audience, being ever-present in the moment, fully engaged in all the dramatic knife twists that Ira Levin’s script has to offer, and by delivering flawlessly timed entrances and exits in scenes with Sydney in the second act of the performance.
Delivering that inimitable Sydney Bruhl flavor, Darren McDonnell possesses a delectable versatility, tearing the character through a range of expressions, emotions, stages of existence, and then some, making for a most gripping performance from start to finish. McDonnell delivers an unspoken intensity at the conclusion of the third scene in the first act— a series of glances, expressions, and bodily positioning that really shocks the audience and shakes up the potential trajectory for the back half of the play. Silent expressions are McDonnell’s forte— as much as his spoken delivery in this production and then some— and you’ll be enthralled whether you’re watching the aghast looks of shock cross his features when he starts silently reading a manuscript in the second act or whether you’re listening to him detail the way things are going to go down by the time the play hits its zenith at the end of the second scene of act two. Vivaciously present, fully aware of the show’s natural cadence and the expected and unexpected relationship dynamic between his portrayal of Sydney and the other four character that populate the shoe, Darren McDonnell is delivering a reckoning of epic proportions with his portrayal of Sydney Bruhl.
Thrilleritis Malignus is spreading…highly contagious, don’t you know. And the only way to cure it is to catch an excellent thriller live on stage. Spotlighters seems to have that on their hands for the holidays as they get their 62nd Season underway. Don’t miss your chance at spine-shivers and goosebumps this fall with Deathtrap.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes with one intermission
Deathtrap plays through December 8th 2024 at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre— 817 Saint Paul Street, Baltimore MD. For tickets call the box office at (410) 752-1225 or purchase them online.
